BYD: One LNG-powered RoRo newbuild launches, another sets on maiden voyage

Accelerating its push for global expansion, China’s plug-in hybrid electric vehicle manufacturer BYD has launched its latest roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) car carrier, BYD Xi’an.

On April 2, 2025, the company shared three images of two car carriers in the same frame on Weibo—a Chinese microblogging website. BYD revealed it launched Xi’an and said that its next newbuild, BYD Shenzhen, was about to embark on its maiden voyage.

It is understood that BYD Xi’an is the sixth vessel in the company’s fleet. The pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) is named after Xi’an, the capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi where the vehicle manufacturer has a factory.

Back in 2022, BYD announced a CNY 5 billion (about $687 million) investment in an eight-ship-strong RoRo fleet. Each ship is capable of transporting more than 7,000 vehicles. Two car carriers were ordered at Guangzhou Shipyard International Company Limited, with the remaining six at CIMC Raffles shipyard.

All newbuilds are equipped with dual-fuel propulsion systems and can use both liquefied natural gas (LNG) and conventional fuel.

BYD Explorer No.1 was delivered to the company in January 2024,